Native Tongue
by M122.Chair
Summary: Leo speaks to Nico in Spanish. At first Nico's confused, but then he isn't.


_Let's see if taking Spanish classes for the past two years was worth anything._

XxXx

"_Buenos días, querida_." Leo greeted to Nico as he walked by grinning wide.

The ghost king raised his eyebrows, he wasn't really a Spanish speaker and Leo knew this. The only thing Nico could get from the sentence was a "Good morning." He wasn't a hundred percent sure what the last part meant. Although knowing the mechanic it was probably something embarrassing.

Later that day he was outside sitting with Annabeth and Piper while Percy sparred with Jason. Both were evenly matched and the it look like they'd be here all day. It was hot outside and Nico found himself shedding off his aviator jacket, if it got any hotter he'd head back to his cabin, he decided while wiping sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, Nico heard a crash behind and turned to see Leo smiling sheepishly on the ground.

Piper giggled while Annabeth shook her head fondly. Leo groaned after glancing at Nico, what, did he not like his presence or something?

"_Dios,¿sabes lo caliente que te ves ahora?_" Leo whined, dusting himself off and taking a seat next to a confused Piper.

"Excuse me?" Nico said, it sounded like an insult to him.

"Nothing." Leo replied, Annabeth shot him a disbelieving look before focusing back on her boyfriend's match. Piper studied Leo for a minute, before doing the same. Nico just wanted to know what fire breath was saying in his language. When everyone was heading back to their cabins with a heavily bruised Percy and Jason in tow, Leo came behind Nico and muttered in his ear.

"_Usted me gira.__._" Leo whispered huskily, Nico could feel him breathing on his neck, stuttering and blushing as Leo walked ahead of him. What is he trying to do? Send Nico to the Underworld early?

This didn't stop, in fact, Leo would randomly look at Nico and spout something in Spanish and grin devilish when Nico would respond with a confused expression. He'd look to Annabeth and Percy for help, but they also didn't know what the mechanic was saying. It was starting to drive Nico insane, if Leo didn't tell him why he felt that he had to speak Spanish when addressing him only, the stupid mechanic was going to take a trip to the Underworld, courtesy of the ghost king.

And idea came to Nico, quickly he went to find Annabeth so he could borrow her laptop. After convincing a reluctant Annabeth, he took it to his cabin and started translating everything he heard Leo say to him. Each translation made Nico turn redder than before, no wonder Leo wouldn't say this in English. When composing himself, he started looking up the basics for the Spanish language. He spent all night trying to learn it orally, that's how Annabeth found him the next morning, trying to mumble incoherent things in Spanish. Realization hit her as she smiled and went to wake the ghost king up. Maybe she'd also try to learn a new language today.

Nico was ready for him this time, feeling anxious all over. Right on time Leo came walking by seeing Nico and smirking.

"_Morning, babe._" Leo said sweetly, Nico blushed, but replied to Leo's surprise.

"_Morning, my idiot._" Nico smirked when Leo crashed into the Ares table. His food landed on that Clarisse girl, she wasn't pleased and Nico winced when the girl unleashed hell on Leo. That was going to leave a bruise.

Leo had to go to the big house where the infirmary was, after this morning's incident. Nico felt a little responsible so he stopped by to see how Leo's broken nose was holding up. When Leo saw him he tried to smile, but it came out as a wince. Nico nodded before taking a seat next to him, planning to confront him about what he's been saying to him. Well, that was the plan before their friends decided to enter, asking Leo if he was alright and what in Zeus' name made him crash into the Ares' table. Leo diverted answering by saying he was still feeling under the weather from getting a beating from Clarisse. Everyone took the clue to leave, but before Nico could exit, Leo stopped him.

"_Except you, Nico._" Nico paused, he learned the basics overnight, but it was still hard understanding the language.

"Alright." He said.

"You can speak Spanish?" Leo asked.

"A bit." Nico replied, Leo seemed nervous, and he couldn't be blamed really. Neither of them said anything, the tension in the room was enough to kill a giant.

"So," Leo swallowed. "You know what I've been saying?"

"Darling? Babe? I'm not going to say the others out loud," Nico looked down, playing with his aviator jacket. "Want to tell me why you said those things?"

"I," Leo stuttered. "Well-becauseIlikedyouforawhileanddidntknowhowtotellyou." He said quickly, running his hands through his hair. It took Nico a minute to process what the mechanic said, eyes widening when he did.

"You," Nico began. "Like me?" He squeaked, thoughts jumbled up, it made sense, but didn't. Why would Leo? Nico didn't even know he swung that way.

"Yeah." Leo coughed, still not meeting Nico's eyes, he stood up and dusted off his pants. "Well, let's skip the awful rejection I'm about to receive and pretend this never happened?"

"Wait-"Nico said unsure. They couldn't drop it like this, not discussing it. Before he could voice this Leo left, leaving Nico to deal with all his emotions on his own. Something Nico hated doing.

Leo's just Leo, the mechanic boy who catches on fire when he gets too excited. The boy who'd work on his machines for days, not coming out for food or sleep until he was finished. He always shine when he did though, covered in oil from head to toe, a tired, but pleased smile gracing his face while tightening the last screw. The sight was something Nico didn't know he always looked forward to.

Wait, when did Nico start to notice the way Leo's expression would harden when focusing or thinking about something. How Leo self consciously rubs dirt off his face when somebody attractive walks by him, when he uses poorly worded puns to cope with traumatic experiences. When he thinks no one's looking and his entire body language sags as if the world is weighing him down, face haunted and brows furrowed in deep thought. When Leo actually smiles, it's dazzling and warm, Nico thinks he'll melt-

That's enough emotion dealing for today, he can deal with this tomorrow, when Leo wasn't walking around with a busted nose (Thanks Clarisse.) And he was open to talking. Nico signed, tomorrow was going to be a long day. Leo Valdez better be worth all this trouble.

The next day, Leo didn't show up to breakfast, nor lunch, or dinner. When Piper asked where their mechanic disappeared to, Jason said Leo asked not to be disturbed, Percy joked that maybe he got wrapped into another one of his inventions. Annabeth was getting up to go check up on him, when Nico jumped up.

"You don't have to," Nico said nervously. "I'll go." What in Hades name was he doing?

"Okay?" Annabeth said, sitting back down while everyone stared at Nico like he just committed a homicide. Piper had a glint in her eyes that was unnerving, Nico went before he could be questioned on his actions.

As he got closer and closer to Leo's cabin he wanted to retreat, maybe Annabeth could check up on him after all. He entered the cabin, it was empty, aside from one person wrapped in their blanket, Leo's curly hair sticking out of the top. Nico swallowed nervously, walking slowly toward the bunk before letting Leo know he was there.

"Leo?" He called out hesitantly, wincing when Leo slammed his head on the bed above him trying to sit up. He stumbled trying to get from out of the covers that held him hostage, Leo looked up at Nico, a red bruise on his forehead to match his somewhat healed nose.

"I didn't expect to see you here." He said, not bothering to pick himself off the floor, but leaning against his bed.

"I thought we should talk." Nico replied simply, grimacing before taking a seat next to the mechanic on the floor.

"Talk? Jeez you're really trying to let me down gently," Leo joked, before getting serious. "Nico, it's alright, you don't have to force yourself. I shouldn't have said those things."

Nico didn't know how to reply to that, did he have to sound so damn sincere? God, Leo really was going to send him to his early grave at this rate. He didn't want him apologizing for something that the ghost king didn't necessarily hated. Nico knew what he wanted, now he just had to tell Leo that. Taking a deep breath, he slowly moved his hand toward Leo's until their fingers touched. He ignored the shocked eyes staring at him.

"I'm not forcing myself to do anything," Nico began, still not meeting the others eyes. "Maybe I'm a little fond of someone muttering Spanish to me." He stammered the rest out, failing to control how red he was turning.

"Really?" Leo tightened his hold on Nico's hand.

"Really." Nico felt his heart would jump out of his chest when Leo used his other hand to make Nico face him. He was sure Leo could hear his heart beat, his expression wasn't helping it slow down either.

Leo looked at him like he just won the lottery, warmly smiling, Nico felt himself melting, but didn't do anything to stop it. He squeezed Leo's hand, internally panicking when it seemed the mechanic was leaning in for a kiss. Nico closed his eyes, waiting for lips to meet his, when it was clear he wasn't getting any lip action, he opened his eyes in confusion.

Laughing, the jerk was laughing, Nico stared until he stopped. Leo grinned at his boyfriend's confusion, leaning to give Nico a peck on the cheek before getting off the floor and holding his hand out to his ghost king.

Nico brought his hand to the cheek Leo kissed, in a slight daze, he let his mechanic guide him out the cabin. Leo then dragged Nico with him while he went to every cabin announcing how he, Leo Valdez, manage to seduce Nico Di Angelo thanks to his beloved native language. Nico hid his face into his hands at their friends reactions, let's just say the dirty jokes didn't calm down for awhile thanks to Percy and Piper.

XxXx

_I only have one word to describe my thoughts while taking Spanish 2- **Irregular verbs came straight from hell I s2g**.(Sorry if they're any mistakes.)_

_Buenos días, querida.- Good morning, dear._

_Dios, ¿sabes lo caliente que te ves?- God, do you know how hot you look?_

_Usted me gira.- __You turn me on._


End file.
